Snips



Patented Apr. 26, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SNIPS Francois X. T. Legare, Haverhill, Mass. Application March 29, 1946, Serial No. 658,342

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in shears or snips of a type adapted for cutting light-weight sheet metal and other sheet material.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a tool of this character by means of which the cut may be made at either the right or left hand side of the uppermost cutting blade whereby to facilitate cutting of right or left hand curves.

More specifically, the invention embodies a tool of this character including an upper cutting blade and a pair of lower cutting blades positioned at opposite sides of the upper cutting blade together with means for throwing either of the lower cutting blades into and out of cutting position whereby either the right or left hand lower cutting blades may perform the cutting action.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a tool of this character of simple and practical construction, which is eflicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to manipulate and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same was intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing one side of the tool.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing an opposite side of the tool.

Figure 3 is a top plan view.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through the adjustable pivot for the blade.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on a line 5-5 of Figure 1, and

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the pivot for the blades.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of invention, the numeral 5 designates one of the handles of the tool on the front end of which is formed the upper cutting blade 6. The rear end of the handle 5 is formed with a finger engaging opening 7.

At the junction of the handle 5 and blade 6 is an opening 8 in which a disc 9 is mounted for rotation, the periphery of the disc being formed with a plurality of cam faces I 0 and shoulders I I. From the opposite faces of the disc project crank 3 Claims. (Cl. 30-226) pins l2 and [3, the crank pins being offset from each other at the diametrically opposite edges of the disc. The outer ends of the crank pins are threaded as indicated at M.

A second handle designated generally at IS includes a pair of handle members I6 and I1 positioned at opposite sides of the handle 5 in cross relation to the handle 5 at the junction of the handle 5 and blade 6. The rear ends of the handle members i6 and I! are formed with aligned longitudinally extendin slots 18 in which a bolt and nut I9 is loosely positioned for connecting the rear end of the handle members l6 and I! to each other for limited longitudinal movement.

The handle member I 6 is formed with an opening 20 for pivotal mounting on the crank l2 and the handle member I1 is formed with an opening 2| for pivotally mounting the same on the crank l3. Nuts 22 are threaded on the threaded portion M of the cranks inwardly of which are positioned lock washers 23 bearing against the outer side of the handle members l6 and I! to eliminate play of the handles on the crank pins and to hold the handle members l6 and I1 tightly against the opposite sides of the handle member 5.

The front end of the handle member I6 is formed with a blade 24 and the front end of the handle member I! is likewise formed with a blade 25, both of which are adapted to cooperate with the blade 6 in the cutting action upon opposite sides of said blade 6.

A leaf spring 26 is formed with an offset 21 and is secured at one end to the upper edge of the handle member 5 by means of a bolt nut 28, the other end of the spring having a detent 29 formed thereon slidably mounted in an opening 30 in one edge of the handle member 5 for working in the opening 8 into the path of the shoulders I! of the disc 9.

In the operation of the tool, the disc 9 is rotated by the detent 29 engaging one of the shoulders II in a ratcheting movement by the pivotal action of the handle 5, the rotation of the disc 9 serving to move the crank pins I2 and I 3 to bring either of the blades 24 or 25 of the handle members It and I1 respectively, into and out of cutting relation with respect to the lower cutting edge of the blade 6 as shown to advantage in Figure 1 of the drawings, the blade 6 being positioned on top of the sheet of material during the cutting operation while either the blade 24 or 25 is positioned under the sheet of material.

Accordingly, the sheet of material may be out at either the right or left hand side of the blade 6 thereby facilitating the cutting of the material along a right or left curved line.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that. even though'there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Shears of the class described comprisingla handle having a single edge end cutting blade, a pair of handles at opposite sides of 'the first handle with a pair of.;single edge end cutting blades lying: alongropposite sides OfithBLifilSt cutting "blade, :and rotary ceccentric: means :connecting said handles together; and :operativev to. shift said pair of handles'relativeito .saidfirstihandle to adjust the vpair ,of cutting blades. into/operative relation .toxthe first .cutting blade alternatively, said handles being-.pivotedrnn said means to swing relative thereto.

:2. Shears ofthe-class described comprising-ahandle having a single-edge end cutting: blade,

a pair of'handles at 'opposite sides of the first handle with a pair of-singleedge end --cuttir 1g blades lying along oppositersides of the first cuthandle with a pair of single edge end cutting :blades lying along opposite sides of the first cutting blade, rotary eccentric means connecting said handles-together and operative to shift said =pajir. of;handles,relative to said first handle to adjust the pair of cutting blades into operative relation to the first cutting blade alternatively, said handles being pivoted on said means to swing relativedhereto; andgmeansj.torqrotating; saidrot ry c entric1ameanszzbyaswin in sof:one. of said handles y-relative n-t-hereto, -'compr=is ing .v-a ratchet and pawl.

Ed ts 5X. 1T. DEG-ARTE.

TREFERENGES The followingreferencesare -ofrecord in the file-of this patent:

- EQEEIGN 1' BATE-BITS Country Date Germany Mar. "7;"1-923 Number 

